Support for luminous tubing



July 21, 1953 R. v. STAAF SUPPORT For: LUMINOUS TUBING Filed Jan. 50, 1951 INVENTOR. ,Qle/waa VJTAAFT BY fi/ Mv-Qfi/ Au Jim- A Patented July 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a support for luminous tubing, and, more particularly, to an attachment for mounting the tubing on an insulating riser post.

Luminous tubing of the type employed in neon signs and the like is commonly secured to an insulating riser post which in turn is secured to a panel forming a part of the sign, the riser post being generally fabricated from glass, and thereby providing an insulating support for the tubing. The riser posts may, in accordance with conventional practice, have one end threaded for cooperation with a wire coil fastening element by which it may be secured to a sign panel while its other end is bifurcated to provide a saddle for supporting engagement with the luminous tubing. The saddle end of the riser post provides a V-shaped notch in which the luminous tube is receivable, and a pair of oppositely projecting lugs or ears under which a fastening wire may engage to secure the tube in position on the end of the riser post. In making the connection, the fastening wire is wrapped snugly around the tubing and the riser post ears, and the tube is thereby secured tightly to the end of the riser post. The tight engagement of the tubing with the end of the riser post is not a desirable feature in that damage to the tubing or riser post is apt to result from such engagement.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an attachment for facilitating the connection of luminous tubing to a conventional riser post.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mounting attachment for luminous tubing which may be connected to the end of a conventional riser post with a snap action.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the character referred to with which the luminous tubing may be engaged with a snap action. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for connecting luminous tubing to conventional riser posts which is constructed from wire, and which provides two pairs of jaws respectively engageable with an end of the riser post, and with the luminous tubing in order to provide a mounting connection between the end of the riser post and the tubing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view illustrating the r 2 manner of application of the attachment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the attachment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken substantially along the line IIIIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view taken substantially along the I line IVIV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV of Fig. 2, and showing in plan the clamping jaws or wire loop by which the attachment may be secured to the end of a riser post; and

Fig. 6 isa fragmentary view in elevation illustrating the manner in which the attachment shown in Fig. 1 is applied to the end of a riser post.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the numeral I designates a part of a sign panel to which a coil or wire 2 is secured by a fastener 3. The coil of wire 2 provides a fastening connection for a riser post 4 which is threaded as illustrated for threaded engagement with the convolutions of the coil 2. The outer or upper end of the riser post 4 is bifurcated to provide a saddle notch 5 of V-shape, and a pair of laterally and oppositely projecting ears or lugs 6. The under surface of each of the ears "6 is under-cut as at I, as best shown in Fig. 6, to provide a groove in which a fastening wire may engage and be prevented from moving out of engagement with the ears 6. Inwardly of the ears 6, there is a pair of annular ridges 8 which cooperate to provide an annular recess 9. The structure thus far described is a conventional one in common and widespread use for the mounting of neon tubing ill 'on a sign panel. The tubing 10 in conventional practice is tied on to the post 4 by wire which is passed under the ears 6 and through the recesses 1 and over the tube 10 in such manner that the tube It! is tightly held in the notch 5.

In place of tying the tube on the riser post, this invention contemplates the use of a wire clip designated as a whole by the numeral H. The wire clip comprises a base portion l2 by which it may be secured on a riser post 4, and an upper portion l3 for holding engagement with the tube Ill. As will be described in greater detail below, each of the parts 12 and 13 of the clip H is comprised of a pair of jaws which respectively have clamping engagement with the end of the riser post 4 and with a tube I0. Generally speaking, the clip II' is mounted in operative position by hooking the base part l2 under one of the ears 6 as illustrated in Fig. 6, and thereafter resiliently springing or distorting the base portion I2 to move it downwardly over the other of the ears 6 to a position in which it may contract and engage under the other car 6 to mount the clip II in position. Thereafter, the tube I is attached to the clip II by forcing it between the jaws of the upper part I3 to a position in which such jaws are operative to lock the tube In against movement in such manner that sudden jars and vibrational forces are ineffective to disturb its mounting.

As will be readily apparent from Fig. 2, the clip II is fabricated from a single strand of resilient wire. terminal ends I4 and I5 of the wire are bent into the shape of a V, and are so arranged in a common plane that they cooperate to form a substantially closed wire loop which has a generally rectangular shape as will be noted from the showing of Fig. 5. The Vs I4 and I5 comprise a pair of jaws for clamping engagement around the inner end of a post 4 in a manner to be described. The loop or rectangular enclosure formed by the jaws I4 and I5 is open at diametrically opposite points It and II. The openings at I6 and I1 facilitate resiliently springing the jaws I4 and I5 apart from each other in a manner to be described.

The central portion of the wire forming the clip is shaped to form the upper part I3 of the clip which is comprised of a pair of jaws I8 and I9. The jaw I8 is comprised of parallel strands 20 and the jaw I9 is comprised of parallel strands 2|. The strands 20 and 2| are respectively positioned in planes which are angularly inclined relative to each other, and which would intersect along a line adjacent to and passing through the points I6 and I1. Each of the strands 28 is arranged for cooperation with a similar strand 2| to provide a pair of Vs spaced from each other and respectively having their I vertexes adjacent the points It and II. The strands 20 and 2| forming one of these Vs are integrally connected at their vertex 22 adjacent the point I6, and the strands 20 and 2| forming the other of these Vs are connected respectively to the inner ends of the V-shaped jaws I4 and I5 adjacent the point II. The upper ends of the strands 2| are connected by a wire portion 23 which is in the same plane containing the strands 2|. nected by a U-shaped wire portion 24 which extends inwardly from the jaw I8 into the space between the jaws I8 and I9 for a purpose to be described.

As indicated above, the clip I I may be mounted on a terminal post 4 with a snap action which is effected in a fraction of a second. The mounting of the clip I I is accomplished by hooking one of the jaws I4 and I5 under one of the ears 6 with the apex of such jaw positioned in a recess I. The other of the jaws I4 and I5 is then forced downwardly over the other ear 6 of the post 4 and in so doing, the loop formed by the post |4-I5 is expanded. At this point, it will be noted that the separation of the jaws I4--I5 at the points I6 and I1 enables the resilient expansion of the wire loop. When the other jaw |4I5 is moved downwardly to a. point where it will clear the lower edge of the other ear 6, the jaws |4-I5 will resiliently contract so that the apex of the other jaw |4I5 will move inwardly to a position in the recess I under the other ear 6. The resilience of the jaws I4 and I5 due to their connection to the strands 20 and 2| will maintain the jaws I4--I5 in clamping en- To form the base part I2, the

The upper ends of the strands 20 are congagement with the post 4 in the space between the ears 6 and the upper ridge 8. If desired, the jaws I4 and I5 may have a resilient clamping engagement in a recess such as the recess 9.

To secure a tube I0 in position on the post 4, the tube is placed in engagement with the parts 23 and 24 and pressed inwardly to move it to a position between the jaws I8 and I9. This inward movement of the tube I0 resiliently forces the jaws I8 and I9 apart from each other, and in so doing, the tube I0 moves to a position between the j-aws I8 and I9. At this point, it will be noted that resiliently forcing the jaws I8 and I9 apart tends to move the lower jaw I4 and I5 toward each other, and thereby into tighter clamping engagement with the end of a riser post 4. When the tube I0 moves to a position between the jaws I8 and I9, such jaws will resiliently contract to engage the strands 20 and 2| with the sides of the tube II). The angular inclination of the strands 29 and 2| is such that their resilient engagement with the sides of the tube I8 will cam the tube I0 upwardly into engagement with the under surface of U-shaped connector 24 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The U-shaped connector 24 thus provides a third point of engagement of the clip II with the tube I9, and additionally functions to limit outward movement of the tube with respect to the jaws I8 and I9.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the clip Ii is comprised of two separate pairs of resiliently connected jaws. The lower jaws I4 and I5 may be readily engaged with a snap action over the end of a conventional post to mount the clip in position. Thereafter, the tube I0 may be iounted in position with a snap action by merely forcing it to an operative holding position between the jaws I8 and I9. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that movement of the tube III to an operative mounted position between the jaws I8 and I9 is effective to increase the clamping force exerted by the clip mounted jaws I4 and I5. Attention is also directed to the fact that the jaws I8 and I9 are effective to provide a support for the tube I 9 while maintaining it out of engagement with the end of the post 4. In addition, attention is directed to the fact that the clip may be fabricated entirely from a single strand of resilient steel wire and that no special tools, or tools of any kind, are required to mount it in position or to secure a tube thereto after it has been mounted in position. It will thus be apparent that the clip II while being relatively simple in construction is highly effective in the mounting of luminous tubing on a conventional riser post 4.

While I have illustrated and described one speeifie embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is merely by way of illustration, and that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the contemplation of my invention and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A mounting attachment comprising a wire having its ends shaped to provide a pair of jaws with its central portion resiliently connecting said jaws, said centra1 portion being shaped to provide a second pair of jaws, each of said second pair of jaws comprising a pair of parallel spaced wire strands connected at their outer ends by a transversely extending wire portion, each strand of one of said second pair of jaws forming a V with a similar strand in the other of said sec- 2,645,881 5 6 and pair 01' jaws whereby said second pair of jaws tions has a. U-shape and projects into the space is comprised of a pair of said Vs spaced from between said jaws. each other, the lower ends of the strands form- RICHARD V. STAAF. ing one of said Vs being integrally connected to each other and the lower ends of the strands 5 References Cited in the file of this patent forming the other of said Vs being integrally UNITED STATES PATENTS ggdriirnzrtejivrlzspectively to one of said first-named Number Name Date 1,207,486 Bradley Dec. 5, 1916 2. An attachment as claimed 1n claim 1 where- 1,267,694 Ralston May 28' 1918 in one of said transversely extending wire por- 10 2067 818 Ben Jan 12 1937 

